Red-billed Hornbill

Tockus erythrorhynchus

Other Names

  African Red-billed Hornbill   Calao à bec rouge, Petit Calao à bec rouge   Rotschnabeltoko   Toco Piquirrojo   Rödnäbbad näshornsfågel   Roodbek hoornsnavel, Roodsnaveltok   Lofocero dal becco rosso

World: Africa except for forested west and central regions.

Kenya: Found across most of Kenya normally below 1400m but may occur up to 2000m. Scarce in the highlands and moister western regions. As with the Yellow-billed Hornbill it is absent from the semi-arid coastal strip.

One of the characteristic birds of dry thorn-bush, this is about the most commonly seen of the hornbills. It is easily distinguished from the other small hornbills having spotted white wing coverts and a uniformly coloured red-orange beak (both Von Der Decken's and Jackson's Hornbills have clearly bi-coloured bills although Jackson's does share the spotted wing coverts). Red-billed Hornbills becomes quite tame around human habitation and can frequently be seen around (or in) lodge restaurants at meal-times.